But as an author, personally I afraid to convey my buyers about my overall earning on every item page with BIG Elite badge (atleast avoid the “Learn More” link). The reason is many buyers already think the current item prices are worthy to get infinite support from author. Worst case is some of the new buyers will assume the mentioned earning is made only through the current item (may not aware how long it took for that earning too) and that will indirectly make them to expect much support-feature requests on items.

On the item page, we already have the Elite badge near the Author avatar which is enough and more relevant. Just a thought as an author, we already have enough issues.

Interesting perspective, we were considering removing the Learn More text mostly because it links off site. I do feel that marking each item as being ‘Elite’ though will be very positive for Elite authors and help provide awesome social proof to buyers – but I’m interested in your perspective. Keep in mind earnings are also mentioned in author paw!

We’re seriously considering dropping the learn more. Hope this helps!

A little popup box explaining what an elite author is would do the trick.

Thanks, that’s enough to solve this. The issue I mentioned is mostly with new buyers who land here through search engines with the curiosity to purchase specific items but less understanding towards microstock-pricing-support possibilities. It would be better to make them learn more about the overall marketplace before author’s earnings!

At first I was a little bummed to not have a chance at trying the price adjustment tool but after thinking about it:

A price increase on files deter some buyers. Maybe not all, but some. Increasing the price does nothing but add a few extra bucks for each sale which probably doesn’t compensate for the number of buyers who are turned off by the price in the first place.

Having that gorgeous Elite Author badge on items can only help improve the sales of the item. It really helps make an item stand out and I really love the idea!

Somehow i’m agreed with VF, people prefer to buy a hotdog from a normal seller in a van, and not from someone stopped in the street with a Porsche. I know Elite badge (or some paw colors) gives the authors some kind of “reliable author” status, but i don’t think that badge on every item is going to make more sales. In fact, it could be the opposite, so think it twice!

Is this an actual joke? No seriously? I was half expecting Jeremy Beadle to pop up from under my desk when I read this.

You’re removing the ability for authors to set their own prices and test the impact of different price points on their businesses and replacing it with a custom forum title? This has to be a joke, right?

As someone that operates their entire business through ThemeForest, and has managed to grow a small team around it, substituting one for the other is not going to wash. And while everyone can always learn something new, 12 months access to Tuts+ is hardly a worthy replacement or incentive based on the assumption that Elite authors have already got some skills to pay the bills.

Getting straight to the point, these are things authors need to run their businesses more effectively, myself included:

1. The ability to test different price points and measure impact.

2. Analytics which allow us to track click to sale. Without any analytics we’re playing a guessing game with promotions, advertising and essentially ANY marketing activity.

3. An open rating system which allows us to see why people have rated an item poorly. Without being able to see this information we are playing yet another guessing game and have no feedback loop to improve from.

These are things authors don’t need to run their businesses more effectively: